NPL Site Narrative for Bonneville Power Administration Ross Complex (USDOE)

Conditions at proposal (July 14, 1989): The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Ross Complex has occupied approximately 200 acres in a residential area in Clark County north of Vancouver, Washington, since 1939. It became part of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) when the department was established. Ross Complex serves as the control center for generation and transmission of electricity throughout the Pacific Northwest.

According to a preliminary assessment made in 1986 by BPA, a number of storage and disposal areas pose a potential threat, including: DOB-1 Drainfield, where laboratory wastes were deposited; the Cold Creek Fill Area, where soil potentially contaminated with oil, PCBs, and heavy metals was disposed of; and the Fog Chamber Disposal Area, where capacitors containing PCBs were buried in trenches.

In 1987 and 1988, BPA sampled an on-site well; analyses detected chloroform, 1,1-dichloroethane, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. An estimated 105,000 people in Vancouver obtain drinking water from public wells within 3 miles of the site.

Cold Creek is 450 feet downslope of the site. It is fed by shallow ground water that flows under the Ross Complex. Vancouver Lake, 1.5 miles from Cold Creek, is used for fishing and other recreational activities.

In June 1988, USDOE completed a site inspection of the Ross Complex.

Status (November 21, 1989): BPA is selecting a contractor to conduct a remedial investigation/feasibility study to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action.

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at ATSDR - ToxFAQs (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp) or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.